Will Kaitlin Olson's High Potential Affect Her Role in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 18?

The actress stars in both the ABC drama and the long-running FXX comedy series.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Kaitlin Olson, who plays Dee Reynolds on the hit FXX comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has taken on a starring role in the new ABC drama High Potential. With the upcoming 18th season of It's Always Sunny set to have more episodes than recent seasons, there are questions about how Olson's dual commitments will affect her time on the Sunny set.

Why it matters

Olson's roles in both shows have built her a strong fanbase, and viewers are eager to see how her increased workload on High Potential will impact the amount of screen time for her Sunny character, Dee. The show's producers will need to carefully coordinate Olson's schedule to ensure Dee remains a central part of the series.

The details

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has recently had shorter seasons of 8 episodes, but co-creator Rob McElhenney has revealed that Season 18 will have a larger episode count. This means more time required from Olson on the Sunny set. Meanwhile, High Potential, where Olson plays the lead role of Morgan Gillory, is also expanding to an 18-episode second season. The scheduling between the two shows will need to be managed to accommodate Olson's commitments.

  • It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 18 production began before the weekend of February 2026.
  • High Potential is currently filming its 18-episode second season, though an exact timeline is unclear.

The players

Kaitlin Olson

An actress known for her roles as Dee Reynolds on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Morgan Gillory on the ABC drama High Potential.

Rob McElhenney

The co-creator and star of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, who announced the upcoming 18th season will have a larger episode count.

High Potential

The ABC drama series starring Kaitlin Olson as the lead character Morgan Gillory.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

The long-running FXX comedy series that Kaitlin Olson has starred in as Dee Reynolds since 2005.

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What they’re saying

“While he didn't offer any further details regarding just how many eps audiences can look forward to seeing in the new season, the Welcome to Wrexham co-lead deserves heaps of excited praise for giving us even that detail to gnaw on.”

— Rob McElhenney, Co-creator and star of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (cinemablend.com)

What’s next

It remains to be seen how Kaitlin Olson's increased workload on High Potential will impact her role in the upcoming 18th season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The show's producers will need to carefully coordinate her schedule to ensure Dee Reynolds remains a central part of the series.

The takeaway

Kaitlin Olson's dual roles on the hit comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and the new drama High Potential present a scheduling challenge, but the show's producers are likely working to ensure her Sunny character Dee Reynolds continues to be a key part of the long-running series.